Composer&#39;s stick



J n 19, 1951 A. L. GAGNE 2,557,821

COMPOSERS STICK Filed March 5, 1948 I vll ll ll 2-K: 1H2 l-9 58 H INVENTOR.

2 A7 Y Jrf/Iur L60 06 A TTORNEY Patented June 19, 1951 COMPOSERS STICK Arthur L. Gagne, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Space Calculator System, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application March 5, 1948, Serial No. 13,249

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in a composers stick, and its principal object is to provide means whereby justification for handset type, machine-set type, and mounted engravings and electrotypes ma be speedily and accurately accomplished by predetermined calculation instead of by the use of a trial and error method now generally employed.

More particularly it is proposed to provide for this purpose an attachment for a composers stick which allows the space remaining after the setting of a line of type between the end of the line and the end wall of the stick to be accurately determined. This again allows the spaces needed for justifying the line. to be ascertained by a simple process of calculation.

It is further proposed to utilize a new unit sys-' tem for the spaces employed for completing the line, the system being based on a relatively small unit, and the spaces being made to represent multiples of the unit, the object of this system being to render the same more flexible and to allow justification to be accomplished more speedily, more accurately, and without the use of fine brass or copper fillers now commonly used to compensate for slight inaccuracies.

In carrying out the general idea of the invention it is further: proposed to use the same unit in measuring the total unoccupied space in the stick and to thus establish at a glance the number of units needed for justifying the line. Thus, with the total number of units given and with the number of spaces required for justification of a line also given, it becomes a mere matter of calculation to determine the exact width of the spaces to be used.

For purposes of convenience it is further proposed to provide a chart which allows, with the above data given, the spaces required to be ascertained without calculation.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my invention will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

For the sake of simplicity I have described my invention in connection with the justification of a hand-set line of type, but it will be understood that the same principle applies to the justification of mounted engravings and electrotypes, and to the correction of monctype machine set type.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a plan view of a composers stick having my attachment secured thereto,

Figure 2, a side view of the same,

Figure 3, a longitudinal central section through the attachment and a cooperating portion of the stick, drawn on an enlarged scale,

Figure 4, a, section taken along line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5, a section taken along line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6, a plan view of a fragmentar portion of a chart used in connection with my invention, and

Figure 7, a plan view of a number of spaces used in my system.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes and modifications maybe made within the scope of the claims attached hereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the com posers stick I may be of conventional form except for the changes necessitated by the mounting of my attachment, and comprises a fiat bottom plate 2 having a straight side flange 3 and a straight end wall 4 and a movable end Wall 5.

The movable end wall may be secured upon the side flange in any one of a number of different positions by means of a conventional clamping device 6 not illustrated in detail, to adjust the distance between the end Walls to the lengthof line desired.

The end wall 4- is formed with a longitudinal horizontal groove 1 in the outer surface thereof, the groove extending through the full length of the wall and having undercut sides as at 8. The wall also has a slot 9 formed therein extending from the inner face of the Wall to the bottom of the groove, the width of the slot being less than that of the groove, and the slot stopping short of the ends of the wall.

My attachment H1 comprises in its rincipal features a feed screw II, a spindle l2 revoluble therein, a nut i3 secured upon the spindle and threaded on the feedscrew, an operating member I l on the spindle and cooperative means mounted with respect to the feed screw and the spindle for measuring the advance of the end of the spindle with respect to the inner face of" the end wall- The: feed screw l I is formed with a square head is adapted to ride along the outer face of the end wall. and has a rib I 6 projecting into the groove '5, the rib having undercut side's corresponding to the sides of the groove T so as to have a sliding fit in the groove. The shank' of the feed screw projects outwardly from the head 3 and has 12 threads to the inch, the operative length of the thread being one-half of an inch.

The spindle l2 extends axially through the feed screw, and is formed, at its inner end, with a head ll retractable in the slot 9, the head having a flat outer face adapted to be brought into alinement with the inner face of the wall.

Near its outerend the spindle 12 has a collar 18 secured thereon, by means of a pin l9, and the collar carries an inwardly projecting sleeve nut 13 which is threaded on the feed screw H. The sleeve nut has a ring 2| mounted thereon and this ring carries a spiral scale 22 paralleling the thread and numbered from 1 to 144.- for a length of thread equal to one-half of an inch. The individual figures on the scale may be viewed through a small opening or window 23 in a sleeve 24 which latter is secured upon the rear face of screw head l so as to form a part thereof.

The position of the ring 2| on the sleeve nut l3 may be adjusted upon operation of a set screw 25 to bring the space immediately ahead of the numeral 1 on the scale opposite the opening 23 when the front end of the spindle I2 is fiush with the inner face of the wall 4. Thus when the spindle is advanced from this initial position, the figures on the scale will successively pass underneath the opening, and each figure will indicate the number of units by which the spindle has been advanced. Each unit will signify an advance by one-one hundred forty-fourth part of one-half of an inch, which is the equivalent of one-quarter of a printers point or .003459 of an inch.

In the-use of the device the spindle is to be advanced until the forward end contacts a previously set line of type. contact be made at a predetermined pressure to secure most accurate reading, and in order to secure the desired pressure I provide the operating element It which is revolvable upon the outer end of the spindle and which drives the collar I8 through a spring-pressed plunger 26 adapted to engage in and to ride over an annular series of ratchet teeth 21 in the face of the collar. When the member 14 is turned clockwise for advancing the spindle, and the latter is free to advance, the plunger rotates the collar under the pressure of the spring. When the spindle strikes the line of type, and a desired counterpressure is developed, the plunger will cease to drive the collar and will ride over the ratchet teeth. On the reverse movement of the member hi the engagement between the plunger and the ratchet teeth is positive.

The one-quarter point unit system used for the scale 22 is also employed in dimensioning the spaces 28, a few of which are shown in Figure '7. The width of each of the spaces is equal to a multiple of the selected unit. For a complete set I provide spaces having a width of 5, 6, '7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20 and 30 units respectively, although a lesser number may give satisfactory results.

It is not practical to cast spaces of a width less than 5 units out of type metal at the present time, but with the above unit spaces my system is so flexible and elastic that for all practical purposes the use of smaller spaces, commonly known as brass and copper spaces, may be eliminated.

In use the compositor first sets a line of type, beginning at the movable wall 5 and stopping: short of the end wall 5. Next he positions the attachment H] to bring the spindle opposite the line set and turns the operating member M for It is desirable that 4 advancing the spindle. When the head of the spindle reaches the line of type and bears upon the same with a desired degree of pressure, the spindle stops automatically even though rotation of the operating member be continued, due to the ratchet arrangement.

Looking at the scale through the opening 2'3, the compositor takes a reading, which possibly may be 41'. He then knows that the line needs spaces to the extent of 41 units for justifying the same. Assuming that the line has five words, calling for the use of four spaces, he can readily determine the exact spaces required by dividing 41 by 4, which gives him 3 spaces of the unit width of 10 and one of 11 unit width. Proper placing of these spaces will accurately justify the line.

For justifying a second line he merely moves the attachment opposite the second line and repeats the procedure.

To facilitate the calculation, I provide a Chart 59, a small portion of which is shown in Figure 6. This chart contains horizontal lines of figures marked from 5 to 144 respectively and divided into vertical columns marked 2-11 respectively. The drawing shows the lines 49, 50 and 51, and the vertical columns from 2-6. If the compositor finds that he needs 50 units for justifying and needs two spaces, he looks at the horizontal line marked 50 and the vertical column marked 2, and finds that he needs 25 unit spaces. If he needs three spaces for a line having four words, he looks down column 3 and finds the notation 1-16, which means that he needs one space of 16 units and the remaining two spaces of the next higher unit value, namely 17, the three spaces making up the total units required for justification.

The many advantages of my system over previous methods are apparent. Justification may be made more quickly and more accurately, with elimination of brass and copper spaces. Any number of lines may be set in one stick, and leader work and rule work will be simplified. Since the spaces fit exactly, no forcing is required.

The attachment may also be used for obtaining the unit value of any space, its point and pica size, for keeping all sticks to the same standard, and for checking mounted engravings and electrotypes for squareness. Other uses will readily suggest themselves to the skilled compositor.

I claim:

1. In combination, a composing stick having an end wall with an undercut groove therein and a slot communicating with the groove, a feed screw having a head bearing on the outside of the wall with an undercut rib slidable in the groove and having a shank projecting away from the wall, a spindle revolvable in the feed screw and projectible through the slot in the wall and having a nut threaded upon the feed screw for advancing the spindle when the nut is revolved, and cooperative means on the feed screw and the spindle for measuring the extent of the advance with respect to the inner face of the wall.

2. In combination, a composing stick having an end wall with a lengthwise slot therein, a feed screw having a head bearing on the outside of he wall and secured to the wall with freedom of sliding motion parallel to the slot and having a shank projecting away from the wall, a spindle revolvable in the feed screw and projectible through the slot in the wall and having a Shit threaded upon the feed screw for advancing the spindle when the nut is revolved, and cooperative means on the feed screw and the spindle for measuring the extent of the advance with respect to the inner face of the Wall.

3. In combination, a composing stick having an end wall with a lengthwise slot therein, a feed screw having a head bearing on the outside of the wall and secured to the wall With freedom of sliding motion parallel to the slot and having a shank projecting away from the wall, a spindle revolvable in the feed screw and projectible through the slot in the wall and having a nut threaded upon the feed screw for advancing the spindle when the nut is revolved, and a sleeve projecting outwardly from the head of the feed screw in concentric relation with the latter and having a window therein, the nut having a cylindrical outer face revolvable in the sleeve, with a spiral scale of figures observable through the window successively as the spindle is advanced, the figures being arranged to indicate the extent of the advance with respect to the inner face of the wall.

4. In combination, a composing stick having a flat bottom and a straight end wall rising therefrom, a feed screw having a head bearing on the outside of the wall and secured to the wall with freedom of sliding motion parallel to the bottom and having a shank projecting away from the outer face of the wall, a spindle revolvable in the feed screw and projectible beyond the inner face of the wall and having a nut threaded upon the feed screw for advancing the spindle when the nut is revolved, and cooperative means on the feed screw and the spindle for measuring the extent of the advance with respect to the inner face of the wall.

5. In combination, a composing stick having a flat bottom and a straight end wall rising therefrom, a feed screw having a head bearing on the outside of the wall and secured to the wall with freedom of sliding motion parallel to the bottom and having a shank projecting away from the outer face of the wall, a spindle revolvable in the feed screw and projectible beyond the inner face of the wall and having a nut threaded upon the feed screw for advancing the spindle when the nut is revolved, and a sleeve projecting outwardly from the head of the feed'screw in concentric relation with the latter and having a window therein, the nut having a cylindrical outer face revolva'ble in the sleeve, with a spiral scale of figures observable through the window successively as the spindle is advanced, the figures being arranged to indicate the extent of the advance with respect to the inner face of the wall.

ARTHUR L. GAGNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,623,359 Rauworth Apr. 5, 1927 1,762,365 Stuckman June 10, 1930 1,923,823 Hedley Aug. 22, 1933 1,926,586 Haas Sept. 12, 1933 2,131,761 Self Oct. 4, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 158,535 Germany Mar. 8, 1905 OTHER REFERENCES Commercial Engraving and Printing (Hackleman); Commercial Engraving Publishing 00., Indianapolis, Ind., 1921. 

